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150th Anniversary of the railway opening from Taunton to Watchet on 31st March 1862.

150th Anniversary of the railway opening from Taunton to Watchet on 31st March 1862.

(12/03/2012 @ 11:02:00)

At Watchet Station we are planning to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the railway opening from Taunton to Watchet on 31st March 1862.

The Friends of Watchet Station would like you to join us in celebrating this event on 31st March 2012

We are arranging to have a Victorian theme for this day,with Staff and some passengers dressed in Victorian clothes.

Back in 1862 when the 1st train arrived in Watchet,there was a brass band playing and local dignatories in
attendance. Bunting and the like was put up all around the Station and the whole Town took part in the Celebration. We hope to go some way to replicating this on 31st March 2012!

There will be a brass band playing to welcome the celebration train arriving at 9.41 am,with the Watchet Town Crier opening the event and a short speech by the Stationmaster.

A Victorian Market has been arranged to take place on the Esplanade on that day-a saturday-a week before the usual opening at Easter. It will open from 9am.

The 1st Train in to Watchet as part of the Celebrations will be arriving at 9.41am and will be in the Station for 20 minutes for speeches and photos before going back to Bishops Lydeard-returning throughout the day. The West Somerset Railway will also be running its regular "red" timetable for passengers wishing to travel to and from Minehead.